Rooftop project

29 Jun 2017

Rooftops in Docklands could be transformed into green gardens under the City of Melbourne’s Rooftop Project powered by the Urban Forest Fund.

The City of Melbourne has released a digital map, identifying rooftops’ suitability for intensive or extensive planting, existing green rooftop adaptations, cool roofs and solar panel installations in the municipality.

The map shows a large proportion of Docklands rooftops have the potential to become green gardens.

Map statistics show 236 rooftops in the City of Melbourne are suitable (with low or no constraint) for heavy vegetated landscapes with a deep layer (more than 20cm) of soil.

Some 328 rooftops are ideal for lightweight vegetated landscape with a shallow layer of soil (less than 20cm).

Rooftops of Docklands buildings such as Etihad Stadium, Channel 7, NAB and some other buildings in Victoria Harbour, NewQuay and Yarra’s Edge are identified as suitable for planting.

Harbour Town, ANZ, five residential buildings in NewQuay and three buildings in Victoria Harbour already have existing green roofs or rooftop gardens.

As of 2015, there were 38 green roofs and 40 rooftop gardens within the City of Melbourne. Rooftops in central Melbourne make up 880 ha. The council says it aims to create 6000sqm of green roofs.

It will allocate $1.2 million to its Urban Forest Fund and aims to grow this to $10 million from the private sector.

“This initiative, to stimulate greening of private property, which represents 73 per cent of land in our municipality, is the next frontier,” Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said.

“Green infrastructure is fundamental to help cities respond to the challenges of climate change, urban heat, flooding and population growth,” he said.

The Urban Forest Fund also includes planting trees, building parks, greening walls and facades and stormwater projects.

The council will match funding from the private sector with extra funding.

Existing rooftop solar panels can benefit from the installation of greeneries. Plants can improve the efficiency of solar panels through maintaining the surrounding temperature at an optimal level for energy regeneration.